All Along
by la Contessa
Summary: Nanao has a crush on Juushiro, and Rangiku and Shunsui are friends with benefits. But when Nanao gets Juushiro and fatal danger looms, Nanao and Shunsui realize they've been chasing the wrong things all along. JuushiroNanao, RangikuShunsui, ShunsuiNanao
1. Chapter 1

Bleach is copyright Kubo Tite.

AN: There's some spoilers in here for both the Soul Society arc and possibly the Bound filler, so be warned. Also be warned that there are and will continue to be adult situations! They won't necessarily be graphic, but there're around and you need to be aware of that before you proceed. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the combination of angst and cuteness I was going for here!

"And then this one, I got it in this cute little boutique after, oh geez, my second to last mission down there? It goes on so smooth—" Matsumoto Rangiku peered into her mirror as she applied the lipstick, eyes intent on her task. Her words were meant for Ise Nanao, who was sitting on Rangiku's bed paging through a magazine Rangiku had bought in the real world with her make-up.

"Does it really make a difference? The make-up, I mean," Nanao added, and Rangiku raised an eyebrow.

"A difference, how?"

"With, um, well. You know." Rangiku's newly painted lips curved into a sly smile. Oh, she knew, alright.

"You mean, if you put some on, will a certain captain finally look your way?" Nanao blushed and ducked her head behind the magazine. Her voice was muffled as she responded.

"I've been doing everything else your silly magazines said, but he just always smiles and asks if Kyouraku-taicho wants to have tea with him later. If putting all that gunk on my face works, maybe it's the only chance I have left." Nanao sounded so despondent that Rangiku crossed the room to sit beside her.

"Oh honey, you have more than one chance! Ukitake-taicho is just like most men, oblivious to everything until you glue it to his nose."

"How did you get Kyouraku-taicho to pay attention to you, then? Glue yourself to his nose?"

"Among other parts of his body, yes." Rangiku laughed. "But it wasn't something I set out to do. It's not like you and Ukitake-taicho, where you care for him. I wanted physical comfort after Gin . . . left, and Shunsui just plain wants physical contact; it was spur of the moment, a drunken hook-up, and a decision that it was so much fun, we should do it again. And again. But, you don't want it to be like that with Ukitake-taicho, do you?"

"No," Nanao answered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I want to see him and spend time with him out of bed. I'm sure the bed part would be very nice, but I want _him_ more." Rangiku patted her on the shoulder.

"Then we'll have to make sure that you have him. Here, hang on, I'll give you some things." Rangiku stood up to rummage through her cosmetics bag, picking subtle colors to highlight Nanao's facial structure. She handed the small pile to Nanao, who looked a little bewildered. "You know how to use this, right? Okay, good. We have our meeting with Yamamoto-taicho tomorrow morning, so be sure to get all dolled up, okay?" She looked proud of herself when Nanao nodded.

"Well then, it's getting late, and I have a long night ahead of me. I'll walk back to Eighth Squad with you."

"Oh, sure." Nanao had gotten over the awkwardness from the early days of Rangiku and Shunsui's 'relationship,' and she was now used to her best friend accompanying her back to Eighth Squad's barracks after their girly time. But sometimes, if they discussed that relationship like they had tonight, Nanao found herself grouchy and sullen when she returned to the privacy of her own room. It was jealousy, she had figured out—jealousy, almost certainly, of Rangiku's natural appeal to the opposite sex. That's all Nanao could possibly be jealous of, right?

The two women chatted amiably on the way back, Nanao juggling the make-up containers as they walked. They said good-bye at Nanao's door, and she hurried inside so she wouldn't have to see Rangiku continue down the porch toward Shunsui's room. Someday, would she walk the same way through the halls of the Thirteenth Squad's barracks? The idea made Nanao giggle happily to herself as she undressed for bed and performed her ablutions.

When she crawled into her futon and closed her eyes, she expected more of the same—daydreams, maybe real dreams, of opening the door to Ukitake Juushiro's room to find him waiting for her with a soft smile. But instead, her mind seized on Rangiku's earlier comment and ran amuck with it. Rather than Juushiro's beautiful eyes, she saw Rangiku dabbing glue onto Shunsui's nose, his expression innocently confused. Then Rangiku's hand dropped, and began to rub glue on the front of Shunsui's hakama as Nanao fought to turn her mind away from the image. Rangiku pressed herself against Shunsui, his expression now a smirk of understanding and anticipation. Although Nanao sternly warned her mind to shut off _this very moment_, it refused to obey, showing her Rangiku's hands easing under the two robes and two kimonos to bare Shunsui's chest. As Nanao finally surrendered to her mind in defeat and drifted toward sleep, the perspective changed, and now it was her kissing Shunsui instead of Rangiku, her hands looking small and delicate on his wide shoulders. The last image she had before falling into a true sleep was of an unfamiliar, generic sky as her head fell back in pleasure and Shunsui's teeth nipped at her exposed throat.

BREAK

"Shunsui-kun, I have a favor to ask you." Rangiku lay beside the Eighth Squad captain on his futon, flush with his side and her left arm and leg draped over him. They were both naked, having already gone one round, and his own left arm was around her shoulders.

"For you, my sweet, anything—as long as I get a favor in return." Shunsui nuzzled her hair, and Rangiku smiled.

"Of course. What I need is Ukitake-taicho to get some time alone with Nanao-chan tomorrow." Shunsui paused.

"That's an odd favor."

"Well, she's too shy to do anything herself, but, well . . . I think she may have a crush on him." Rangiku gave a fake giggle, as though she hadn't planned this entire conversation beforehand. "They would be adorable together, wouldn't they? But they're both so quiet . . ."

"Hmm, you're right, they ARE both quiet. But are you sure she likes him? Nanao-chan always works so hard, I never thought she had time for dating." Shunsui didn't add that he'd asked her out countless times and had always been rebuffed; it seemed dangerous to tell one's lover about failed attempts at getting past lovers.

"Even people who spend a lot of time on their jobs still have needs, Shunsui-kun, you should know that."

"Yeah, but—Nanao-chan? And Juushiro?"

"Is there something wrong with her and Ukitake-taicho? Is he gay or something?" Rangiku frowned. She hadn't expected opposition, just a confused agreement and a lot of sex as payment for the favor.

"No, no—gods, no, he's straight." Shunsui laughed now, running his fingers lightly over Rangiku's back. "When we were at the academy, he'd lecture me on 'womanizing' one moment, then the next he'd be reciting poetry to some hapless, starry-eyed underclasswoman. Trust me, he likes women."

"Then why can't he date Nanao-chan?"

"Because Nanao-chan is mine," Shunsui responded automatically. Oh, shit. Recover, recover! "I mean, she's my lieutenant—if she's in Juushiro's bed all the time, who will fill out my paperwork? Who will wake me up when Yama-jii calls a meeting? I can't let Juushiro take someone so useful away from me." Not good enough. "But, you know, if you think they'd enjoy each other's company, who am I to get in the way? It could be true love."

Before Rangiku could answer, Shunsui rolled over to prop himself above her on his forearms. He put on his best sultry look and gazed down at her.

"It's time for my favor now," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her slowly and deeply—so thoroughly, he was hoping, that she would forget his metaphorical loose tongue and think instead of his real one.

Rangiku, in the style of all women, forgot nothing but played along in good humor anyway. And she was, in fact, in good humor. Shunsui making a typical male misstatement didn't faze their relationship, because there was no relationship to faze. It was completely physical, and not necessarily monogamous (so she assumed, although she was sure neither of them had yet attempted the contrary). It wasn't like Shunsui was serious, anyway. Nanao wasn't his type.

She was, however, Ukitake Juushiro's type. Rangiku mentally smiled at the thought of the two quiet, gentle people shyly confessing their love. It made her proud to play matchmaker, and when Shunsui dipped his head to flick his very real tongue over her nipple, although her moan was all for him, her broad grin was for Nanao.

BREAK

"We might have a problem," Yamamoto Genryuusai announced at the daily assignment meeting the next morning, and everyone stood up a little straighter—except Kyouraku Shunsui, that is. He made it a habit of not displaying any negative emotions, so he remained relaxed, staring intently at Yamamoto-taicho from under the brim of his hat.

"An Eleventh Squad patrol group out in northern Rukongai never checked in this morning. Considering the usual punctuality and precision of Eleventh Squad—"

"Because they know I'll kill them," Zaraki Kenpachi-taicho added helpfully.

"—this could be cause for worry."

"Are we certain we cleared out all the ryoka?" Ukitake Juushiro asked quietly. Now that he had cause to pay attention, Shunsui noticed that his lieutenant's head turned toward Juushiro more quickly than everyone else's, and that her cheeks tinged the faintest red. Well, hell. Nanao-chan really did like Juushiro.

"I'm not sure. Hitsugaya-taicho's track record—" A ripple of annoyance filtered through the group at Kurotsuchi Mayuri's words, but Genryuusai held up a hand.

"This is not the time. Every report I've seen indicates that the Bound problem has been completely solved."

"Thank you, Yamamoto-taicho. I thought it best to rule out the enemies we know before chasing ones we don't."

"Which leads to my next point, Juushiro—if this is Aizen's doing, we need to be on alert. That alertness may not be necessary, but it can only help us in the event that there's some other enemy in Soul Society. I want Eighth, Eleventh, and Thirteenth squads to branch out through Rukongai starting from the north and gather information. If possible, and especially if it's an agent or agents of Aizen, any criminal elements are to be captured alive."

"Yama-jii, perhaps I ought to remain in Seireitei and correlate the reports from the three squads," Shunsui suggested, his voice bored. He didn't want to go out hunting all through Rukongai for criminals which may or may not exist. The missing squad probably just got caught up with some prostitutes and alcohol, and was afraid to come back to Kenpachi without having completed their mission properly. Besides . . . he had promised Rangiku he'd come up with a way to get Juushiro and Nanao together.

"Kyouraku-taicho, no excuses from you. I want all three captains out there in case something comes up."

As Shunsui made a show of groaning out loud, he heard Nanao mutter beside him, "You haven't correlated anything a day in your life." He chuckled low in his throat as Genryuusai moved on to assigning other squads to details inside Seireitei, and leaned over.

"Awww, Nanao-chan, you know how hard I work." Nanao snorted. "Besides, that was for you. Now I need to think up a whole new plan." He smiled lazily at her as she looked up in surprise, and he winked. So she wasn't in on Rangiku's plan. That at least made this a bit fun.

It wasn't that Shunsui didn't want Nanao and Juushiro to be together. In fact, he wanted them both to be happy. But, well, he was worried that Juushiro would waste Nanao. He would be so accommodating that she wouldn't have cause to blush, get angry and yell, or stomp off in a huff—and those were the things that made Shunsui think she was beautiful. Well, okay, there were other things, like the curve of her cheekbone under her glasses and the delicate strength in those arms that constantly thrust huge stacks of paperwork at him, not to mention her loyal and kind heart. But the things she did when she was frustrated, those were responses that only Shunsui could evoke, and he liked knowing he was the only one who could effect her so strongly.

But, well, it didn't matter. Nanao didn't want him, and he was content to screw Rangiku until one or the other of them got bored and they went their separate ways, no hard feelings. If Nanao wanted a guy like Juushiro, it wasn't Shunsui's place to tell her that she had picked the wrong person.

It wasn't like Nanao would listen to him, anyway.

BREAK

It took a while, but Nanao had figured out exactly what Shunsui was planning, and she wasn't sure she approved. The whole thing just HAD to be Rangiku's doing, and it embarrassed Nanao to no end that Shunsui seemed thrilled at being named official matchmaker between his best friend and his lieutenant.

Since neither one wanted to work directly with Kenpachi and his Eleventh Squad, Shunsui and Juushiro had left the First Squad headquarters together, Nanao trailing behind the two men. She had been so busy trying to figure out what in the hell Shunsui was talking about that she forgot to pay attention to the planning. So, she was extremely surprised and nervous to find that Shunsui had volunteered her to be a stand-in lieutenant for Juushiro.

"I don't need a lieutenant to park myself on a roof and watch for trouble, and Nanao-chan will be a much bigger help than your fan club," Shunsui was explaining to Juushiro when she finally bothered to catch up, walking on Shunsui's other side.

"They're not incompetent, just overly excitable," Juushiro laughed lightly. "But Ise-fukutaicho is quite capable, so if you think you can spare her, I won't turn you down." Nanao's cheeks flushed, and she ducked her head.

"Oh, I certainly can. Do you really think I'm about to go running around through Rukongai looking under rocks for the mystery attacker? I'll get there in time if anyone's reiatsu flares; the meantime, I'd rather take a nap." Nanao glanced up to roll her eyes at her captain, and met Juushiro's amused gaze. He gave a small smile, just for her, and she looked away quickly.

Everything Shunsui had said was a complete lie—he _always_ needed someone to get more sake for him, at the very least. He must be purposely setting her up to spend time with Juushiro, which meant this was how Rangiku meant to get them together. Nanao's ears burned at the thought of Rangiku and Shunsui discussing her love life while naked and entwined with one another.

That was how Nanao found herself walking through northern Rukongai with Juushiro at her side, clutching her book and avoiding his eyes. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary so far; all they had seen were peasants going about their business, eyeing the shinigami and wondering why a captain and a lieutenant were walking through their neighborhood.

"Ise-fukutaicho, you look different today," Juushiro finally said into the silence, and Nanao looked up at him with a start. Was her hair out of place? Oh, it was Rangiku's makeup—maybe she looked like a clown! This had been a horrible idea!

"Oh, it's just—"

"I like it. It makes you glow." Juushiro smiled down at her, and Nanao's breath stuck in her throat. What did this mean?

"Thank you," she murmured, and it was somehow important to her that they not return to the silence. "Matsumoto-fukutaicho got some make-up in the real world, and she lent it to me."

"Ahh, she does have a preference for shopping down there, doesn't she? Drives poor Hitsugaya-taicho crazy," he laughed, and Nanao joined in, gradually relaxing. The Gotei Thirteen had been laughing over the ever-suffering Hitsugaya Toushiro and his lieutenant since they'd first been assigned together; they were even more different from each other than Nanao and Shunsui. This was common ground, something that made Nanao comfortable.

"Have you been to the real world often, Ukitake-taicho?" Dumb question, but he didn't know that she'd already reviewed every report he'd submitted, from the real world and otherwise, taking pleasure in his neatly written script. It was so different from Shunsui's lazy scrawl that she had been jealous of Shiba Kaien at the time.

"Often enough for me. I'd rather stay here and keep things secure at home. Most of the problems we run into here can be solved without fighting." As if to punctuate his statement, he covered his mouth and coughed once. Forgetting herself for a moment, Nanao reached out to lay a hand on his arm.

"Are you alright? We could stop and purchase some water, if you wanted."

"No, no, I'm fine, Nanao. Thank you for asking," he told her with a gentle smile, and then he froze. "I apologize. I've been around Shunsui so long that I've forgotten my manners, Ise-fukutaichao." Nanao, flying high from hearing Juushiro use her given name, shook her head.

"It's okay. I don't mind you calling me Nanao, Ukitake-taicho." She smiled in a way she hoped didn't look too eager, but was embarrassed to see that her hand was still on his arm. "Oh, I—"

"Don't worry." Juushiro's eyes stayed on hers as he lifted her hand from his sleeve and raised it to his lips, gently kissing her knuckles. "For my part, I don't mind you touching me. And it's just plain Juushiro, okay?"

Nanao could only manage a small nod, and it barely occurred to her that her feet had stopped moving. Juushiro was . . . flirting with her? Was she misunderstanding something? Nanao could balance a ledger better than anyone else in the thirteen squads, but she was behind all the other women when it came to understanding males. She wouldn't be half as nervous if this were a problem with a mission that needed solving—

Speak of the devil, huh?

"Excuse me? Excuse me? Taicho-sama, did they send you? Thank the gods you're here!" The woman running toward Juushiro and Nanao made them leap apart, avoiding each other's eyes. Nanao used the hand Juushiro had kissed to hold her book as they hurried down the road.

"Madam, what's wrong? Ise-fukutaicho and I were on patrol, but we would be glad to help you." Juushiro laid a calming hand on the older woman's shoulder, and it made Nanao proud to see him being so kind to women in distress.

Okay, so Shunsui was also willing to help anyone who needed a hand, from the farmer hauling a wagon of potatoes to the young mother whose adopted son got stuck on the roof. Nanao didn't want to be uncharitable to her own captain while ogling someone else's—and Shunsui had enough faults that he deserved to have at least one trait in his favor. Nanao wondered if he had run out of sake yet. Who would go get some extra for him? And what if he was getting sunburnt? Who would tell him to face the other direction?

Nanao shook her head. What was she doing standing here worrying about Kyouraku Shunsui when Ukitake Juushiro had just _kissed her hand_? And now this woman needed help, so it was up to them to help her.

"It was just awful when we went outside this morning! I sent my nephew to tell the shinigami, but it seemed to take so long."

"What happened that you had to send someone?" Juushiro asked quietly. The woman shook her head, holding back tears.

"I can't describe it. Here, I'll show you." She turned back to walk the way she had come, and Nanao and Juushiro followed her after sharing a worried glance.

Nanao was happy to get back into work mode, where everything made sense. She understood patrol reports, training exercises, and even fighting much better than she understood romance. So even though she was nervous about what they would find by following the woman, Nanao much preferred it to worrying over what Juushiro meant.

That is, until she saw the bodies.

The woman led them around a corner into a small alley that opened onto a wider street parallel to the one they had been on.

"My shop is down there," she announced, pointing to the right down the parallel street. "They were like that when I woke up this morning to open the store. I didn't hear a thing all night." The woman continued talking about what her neighbors had said on the matter, but neither Nanao nor Juushiro was listening.

On the street in front of the woman's shop lay five figures in shinigami robes. The dirt street beneath them was stained wine-red with blood, pooling around bodies and severed limbs alike. Broken swords lay among the bodies. Nanao gasped and covered her mouth while Juushiro sucked in a breath through his teeth.

"Nanao, you may want to alert Shunsui and Zaraki-taicho," he said quietly. "And send the Fourth Squad morgue team. I don't think medical care will make any difference at this point."


	2. Chapter 2

Bleach is copyright Kubo Tite, not me.

Thanks to sffcorgi for the beta-ing!

"Thank you for your time," Nanao said with a forced smile as she stepped out of the peasant's house and closed the door behind her. There was only one more home left on this side of Third Street in Division Four, and then she could go home and _sleep_.

It had been a long, long day. After she alerted Shunsui and the rest of the Shinigami about the murdered party, Genryuusai had appointed her head of the "data collection" department. Basically, this meant that she made sure everyone in the northern section of Rukongai got interviewed about what happened last night. The assignment was right up her alley, but now, over twelve hours after she'd first reported for duty that morning, she was tired.

"Group heads, check in," she said into her earpiece as she walked over to the last house on the street. Her Hell Butterfly transmitted the same responses she'd heard all day and night: no one had seen a damn thing.

"Figures," she sighed as she knocked on the door. Nanao heard some shuffling inside, and then a slamming sound, before a middle-aged lady opened the door.

"Yes?"

"My name is Ise Nanao, and I'm the lieutenant of Eighth Squad. I apologize for bothering you, but I need to talk to you about an incident in this area last night," Nanao said crisply, having repeated the exact same line countless times already. The woman blinked.

"Incident? We didn't have anything to do with any incidents."

"No one is saying you did, ma'am. I just want to know if you saw anything."

"We were likely in bed. My husband here, he has to get up early to open the shop. We sell fabrics, you see." The woman was obviously nervous; her hands twisted a dishrag as she spoke, and she kept glancing back at a man who must have been her husband. He was seated at a table, reading glasses perched on his nose and a sheaf of documents in his hand. He looked at Nanao with a combination of curiosity and—disgust? These must be the sort who distrusted the Shinigami.

"What time did you go to bed?"

"Around nine. We were just about to head to bed now, actually, seeing as how it's almost nine." The woman looked back at her husband, and he stood.

"Yes, it's about bedtime. Neither my wife nor I saw or heard anything last night, so if you'll excuse us?"

Nanao bowed crisply, her voice primly polite as she spoke.

"Of course. For your safety, please be careful when walking around at night. Someone killed an entire patrol of Shinigami last evening, and we don't want a repeat."

"Somehow, I don't think the kind of person who would kill Shinigami would bother with peasants like us. Good night." The husband walked into a back room, and the wife gave a thin-lipped smile.

"My husband is simply tired, as am I. I must be going."

"I understand. Thank you for your time." Nanao stepped backward to allow the woman to close the door and frowned. Sure, some people had negative opinions of the Shinigami, but most people had been willing to help for their own safety, if nothing else. It may be worth keeping an eye on these people, and she made a note of the house number on her memo pad. If there was another incident, she could send someone back—

Before Nanao could finish writing the number, someone's forearm reached over her shoulder and pressed against her neck. She froze, not wanting to raise her head and give this person better access to strangle her.

"I'm sorry, little Shinigami girl," a male voice whispered in her ear. "But you wandered into the wrong section of town."

"Who are you? Did you kill the Shinigami last night?"

"I'm not telling you, and yes, I did. I think you should be next, but first, you're going to replace what the Shinigami stole from me." The man's other hand snaked around Nanao's side to close over her breast, and she gasped.

"Let go of me!" She gathered breath to recite the triggering words for a kidou, but the man raised the pressure on her exposed throat until she saw stars.

"No fair calling for your friends. Besides," he laughed lightly, breath hot on her ear, "I've already killed them." Nanao began to struggle at that, but the man's arm only squeezed harder until she was gasping for breath. She dropped her book and memo pad to clutch at his forearm, trying to pull it away from her neck. Through the buzzing in her head, she could feel his hand massaging her breast before it moved to slide inside her kimono.

Suddenly the man cursed in her ear and his hands vanished. Nanao fell to the ground gasping, too intent on sucking in air to wonder where he had gone. The answer arrived in a few seconds, in the form of a pair of waraji sandals taking up her vision.

"Nanao! God, Nanao, what happened?" Hands grabbed her shoulders, but Nanao didn't have the energy to raise her head. The voice. The voice was familiar. Who called her 'Nanao-chan?'

"Talk to me! Are you okay?" The hands became arms, wrapping around her back and pulling her against a hard chest, making Nanao realize the voice was male. She leaned against him, yellow swirls still clouding her vision and a fog over her mind.

"Fine . . . but can't . . . breathe . . . murderer . . . hid reiatsu" she choked out. She raised a hand to her throat, wincing as she pressed gingerly on the bruised skin. The pain sent a fresh wave of dizziness through her, and she went limp, gasping.

"The murderer? You saw him?"

"Yes. Tell . . . my team! My God . . . he killed the team!" Shock cleared her head more effectively than the passage of time, and she pushed away in horror as she realized both that her entire team may be dead and she was snuggling with Ukitake Juushiro. He looked worried as he stared intently at her face, and she blinked under his gaze, unsure what to do.

"Are you sure? Give me your transmitter." Juushiro kept one arm around her while he gently removed her headset. "Don't worry, Nanao-chan."

As Juushiro adjusted the headset, Nanao realized it was strange to hear someone other than Shunsui addressing her so informally. She'd told Juushiro to do it, but was unfamiliar and almost disquieting. _It has to be the lack of oxygen_, she told herself, ducking her head.

"Hello? This is Ukitake-taicho of Thirteenth Squad. Please check in." Silence from the Hell Butterfly hovering above them. "Again, please respond if you receive this message."

"No use. I know everyone's reiatsu—they're gone," Nanao said dully, sighing as she lifted her head. Juushiro looked at her, his eyes sympathetic.

"I'm sorry." He removed the headset, tucked it into the tie of his hakama, and wrapped both arms around her. "I'll take you to the Fourth Squad's hospital and come back with Shunsui to get your team."

"I'm fine, get the bodies first." A small voice deep in her mind told Nanao not to send Juushiro away just when she needed his support, but the voice was masked by anguish and easily ignored. Responsibility and duty always had to come first.

"It's more important to get you medical care." Before she could protest, Juushiro shifted his arms, scooping one under her knees to lift her as he stood. She gasped and laid one hand on his chest in an instinctual search for stability. The last man to hold her like this had been Shunsui, on the fateful day of Kuchiki Rukia's execution. Nanao hadn't needed extra support in his arms; his broad shoulders and strong chest were naturally comforting.

What a time to think about Kyouraku Shunsui! She was in another man's arms, and an entire team of Eighth Squad members had died on her watch. Her captain would be so disappointed in her; these nagging images of him would simply have to stop. At least, they would have to go away until she had dealt with the guilt, and by then, she would hopefully be too wrapped up in something else to even remember them.

"Are you ready to go?" Juushiro murmured, before gently kissing her hair.

"My notebook. It has information . . . a suspicious house . . ."

"Notebook? All I see is that giant tome you always carry around." Juushiro squatted down to snatch it from the ground with one hand, balancing Nanao on his knees. "He must have taken it with him."

"That means we're close," Nanao whispered, closing her eyes. Just how badly had she failed? She was so caught up in her misery that she didn't notice Juushiro take off with his quickest flash step.

BREAK

"It's been a long day," Rangiku commented with a sigh.

"Too long. Damn, that feels good."

Rangiku laughed, pressing harder as her fingers moved down Shunsui's bare back.

"You're so tense . . . you spent the whole day organizing funerals, didn't you?"

"It was horrific." He paused as Rangiku reached up to knead his shoulders. "Mmmm. And, Nanao-chan wasn't even there to help me. How am I supposed to know where the damn banquet hall registration forms are?"

Rangiku held her tongue, but what Shunsui covered up with humor and complaints was clear in her mind. His other responsibility had been to alert the families of the victims of last night's attack—that was a lot of grief to witness in one day. She leaned forward and kissed the back of his neck.

"Where is Nanao now?" she asked finally.

"Interviewing the townspeople. That's enough, Rangiku-chan. I want to touch you." Shunsui reached up to grasp one of her hands and draw her around his chair. He looked up at her, soulful eyes grateful for her presence. Shunsui was a simple man, easy to understand and even easier to please. He sought pleasure in everything he did, but in the end, he lived to make others just as happy. Rangiku wasn't in love with him, but if she were going to have a tryst, it should be with someone who respected her. It was more than Gin ever gave her, and it went a long way toward healing some of those wounds.

And, of course, since she was happy, her friends should be, too. In that respect, she was very similar to Shunsui.

"How much time did Nanao spend with Juushiro today?" she asked as Shunsui moved both hands to cup her breasts through her kimono. He raised an eyebrow.

"You want to talk about my lieutenant? Now?"

"She's my best friend—I'm concerned," she explained, arching her back instinctively to press her chest against his palms. His index fingers flicked over her nipples as he responded.

"Well, they walked around for maybe half an hour this morning." He paused to tug down her layered kimono on one side, baring a breast to his hand. "And just a little bit ago, he asked me where she was, so I sent him out to Division Four. They could be making out in the shadows as we speak."

Rangiku smiled shakily down at him, and her voice was breathy with arousal when she spoke. "Has Ukitake-taicho ever made out with a girl in his life?"

Shunsui grinned boyishly, giving a quick pinch to each of her nipples.

"You'd be surprised," he chuckled, leaning forward to take the tip of her bare breast into his mouth. She moaned softly and reached out to hold onto his shoulders.

A pounding on Shunsui's bedroom door separated them, Shunsui sighing resignedly and Rangiku fixing her kimono with a grimace.

"Yes?"

"Captain! Ise-fukutaicho was attacked! She's in the Fourth Squad headquarters!" Shunsui was on his feet instantly, with the speed that often surprised the opponents who underestimated him. He yanked the door open to stare in horror at an Eighth Squad guard.

"Attacked?" he repeated.

"It was the murderer, she said."

"Ah, that's my Nanao-chan; no murderer stands a chance against her," Shunsui laughed, but it was weak and didn't reach his eyes. "Is he in custody?"

"Actually, he got away. Apparently Ukitake-taicho showed up just in time. But . . ." the guard trailed off, looking down.

"But? Is she injured? Conscious?"

"No, just a little bruised. But the rest of her team is dead." Rangiku, standing behind Shunsui, gasped and covered her mouth. Shunsui's face fell, but his voice was carefully neutral.

"I'm going to see Nanao-chan. Make sure the bodies are cared for," he commanded the guard.

"Kyouraku-taicho, I'm coming with you." She leaned around him to address the guard. "Use members of Tenth Squad to recover the bodies if you're short."

"Yamajii already knows?"

"I don't know; Fourth Squad sent a messenger here to tell us, so they probably sent one to Yamamoto-taicho too."

"Thank you. Rangiku, let's go."

Shunsui didn't wait for a response; he simply stepped around the guard and took off for the hospital. Rangiku smiled at the guard and followed.

BREAK

"I wish everyone would stop fussing over me—I'm fine," Nanao groused, glaring at the ceiling. "this is embarrassing. You should be out finding that madman." Her voice was still scratchy, and she coughed when she finished speaking. Juushiro, seated at her bedside in the otherwise empty room, frowned.

"First, your neck is purple! You are _not_ fine. Second, the entirety of Eleventh Squad is out for blood right now. If the rest of us tried to help, they'd probably kill us by mistake. Third, you need to learn to let other people take care of you. You can't do everything youself, Nanao-san." Juushiro picked up one of her hands and squeezed. "I wish you could let me help you."

"You carried me here—you don't owe me anything else," she muttered nervously, avoiding his eyes. Now that she was safely in bed and some of the shock had worn off, her feelings for Juushiro had returned. He'd refused to leave her side, and now he was holding her hand. The contact made her remember being held against his chest, and she fought not to blush.

"No, I don't owe you anything, you're right," Juushiro told her softly. "However, I want to help you, whether it's owed or not. I think you're so strong and talented, but you must be lonely, too, never letting anyone in."

"I . . . I'm not lonely, I'm okay. I have a lot to do—Kyouraku-taicho is so lazy that—"

"Don't lie to me, Nanao-san. You need someone to relax with, to smile at."

Nanao looked up at him in surprise, convinced she had misheard him. She'd dreamed of this happening one day, but she never thought it would be REAL. And yet, Juushiro was smiling gently at her, his thumb moving in circles over the back of her hand.

Suddenly, the imminent prospect of dating Juushiro terrified Nanao. She'd lived for so long with the myth of the white-haired captain, building it up in her mind so that by now, he was perfect. How could she risk the destruction of her dreams by an unknown reality?

"I don't know what you mean, Ukitake-taicho," she murmured. "I have friends, we spend time together after we get off duty. Rangiku-san and I—"

"I don't mean Matsumoto-fukutaicho, or any of your other girl-friends."

"What, um, what do you mean, then? Exactly?" she managed, desperate to organize her thoughts and regain control over her quickly changing life.

Juushiro sighed, laughing a bit and shaking his head.

"Ahh, Nanao-chan. I'm not usually this bold, but—I need you to understand. What I mean is that I want you to be my girlfriend."

"Oh. Um." Nanao looked at their entwined fingers. "Are we, you know, allowed to?" Juushiro laughed, truly amused.

"I don't think anyone really cares, Nanao-san."

"You can call me Nanao-chan. I mean, if I'm going to be . . . you know, if we're going to . . . if we become significant others," she told him shyly. He laughed again and leaned forward to kiss her lightly.

"Ahh, Nanao-chan. You always try to be so composed, and that's what I adore about you. You can relax around me, don't be afraid."

Nanao tried to keep her face stoic, from habit as much as to please him with her serious demeanor, but she couldn't prevent a blush from creeping over her cheeks when his lips grazed hers.

"I'm not . . ." she began, ready to insist that she wasn't afraid. However, when her eyes jumped to Juushiro's face, she saw a movement in the doorway behind him. Tilting her head, she could make out a pink robe and straw hat, worn by a large man hovering in the doorway. The expression on her captain's face was clearly one of shock. However, when he noticed her own horrified stare, he shook his head, raised a finger to his lips, and stepped back into the shadows of the hallway.

"What? Is everything okay?" Juushiro sounded concerned, and Nanao smiled weakly at him.

"I'm fine. I just lost my train of thought."

And, unfortunately, her attention to Juushiro. Although they chatted amiably for half an hour before he told her she had to get some rest, Nanao barely heard his words or registered the feel of his hand holding hers. Her mind was on Shunsui's eyes, staring at her from the doorway. His presence had embarrassed her, like she had done something wrong—and she had, right? She'd gotten her entire team killed. But still Shunsui had come to see her, and it was only Juushiro's kiss that had driven him away. Although it took her an hour of lying in her hospital bed staring open-eyed at the ceiling, she finally figured out why that made her so sad: Juushiro's kiss had been nice, but had done nothing to heal her inner sorrow at her teammates' deaths. She didn't need romance right now, she needed support and strength. Juushiro was kind and gentle, but he didn't _understand_.

She had to admit—reluctantly—that the only man who ever truly understood her was Shunsui.


	3. Chapter 3

Bleach and all its characters are copyright Kubo Tite.

Thanks to Amatyultare for beta-reading!

The sunrise turned the horizon a fantastic orange, but Shunsui didn't notice. He sat on the Eleventh Squad headquarters' roof, an empty sake bottle at his side, staring down at the brown tiles. He was running on only a couple hours of sleep, but he wasn't tired. Rather, his mind raced through last night, over and over, not pausing long enough to allow him any more rest. Insomnia had never visited Shunsui before, and he was disconcerted.

Each time his mind replayed the footage of Juushiro's lips touching Nanao's, Shunsui reflexively closed his eyes to ward off the pain. It never worked, and as his heart slowly broke, he could no longer avoid the truth. No one should be kissing Nanao but him—because he was in love with her.

His strongest reaction to that realization was an acknowledgement that he was a fool. Shunsui smiled wryly to himself as the beauty of the sunrise faded into misty morning light. So many chances lost, not for lack of interest, but for lack of urgency. Whether or not he acknowledged his feelings had seemed pointless when there was no danger that Nanao would leave him.

_Would_ she leave him? The thought struck Shunsui hard, and his head jerked up in sudden grief. Juushiro needed a lieutenant, Nanao was a lieutenant—why wouldn't she abandon her bumbling idiot of a commander for the man she loved? Shunsui couldn't think of a single reason other than the hopeless wishes of the fool he was. The danger that he would need to start doing his own paperwork paled in comparison to the fact that someone else would see Nanao blush. Even worse, Juushiro would likely get to see her entire body blush.

Jealousy now threatened to overtake sorrow, and Shunsui frowned. This was not like him at all. Rarely did strong emotions interfere with his peaceful enjoyment of life. It was time to wrest control of his life back from errant emotions. If he ended up alone, that was something he would have to deal with when the time came. For now, he didn't want to waste a moment.

"Shunsui, old boy," he muttered to himself as he stood up, stooping to grab the empty bottle, "If you only have a few hour left, better go make the best of them." With that admonishment, Shunsui headed off to the Fourth Squad Hospital to collect Nanao for the daily meeting.

BREAK

Although Nanao slept fitfully through the night, she was remarkably cheery when she awoke. Juushiro had kissed her. Her! Nanao! She smiled softly to herself at the memory. His lips were so gentle . . .

The kiss. The eyes in the doorway. Juushiro had kissed her, but she'd gone to sleep thinking of Shunsui. The whole night, with all its emotional tumult, flooded into her memory, and she groaned. Her desire to confide in Shunsui seemed ridiculous in the morning light, and she couldn't believe she'd wasted her night pining over a different man than the one she'd finally won. She should think of the tender look in Juushiro's eyes, the feel of his hand holding hers—

"Why, Nanao-chan, what could you be daydreaming about with that look on your face?" The familiar teasing drawl brought a flush to her face as she glanced up to see Shunsui leaning into the room, one arm resting on the doorframe.

"None—none of your business," she stuttered, thrusting her nose into the air in an attempt to hide her confusion. "Do you always come barging into women's bedrooms? Injured women?" When Shunsui simply raised an eyebrow, the red tinge in her cheeks deepened. Of course he did.

"You don't sound injured anymore. I was worried—"

"Do you think we can have this conversation later? Such as when I have clothing on?" Nanao regretted the words the instant they left her mouth. She desperately wanted Shunsui out of the room so she could think without his intense stare—when did his eyes get so _dark_?—but obviously drawing attention to her nightgown-clad state had been a tactical error. His gaze immediately fell to her chest and the light linen covering it, and she raised an arm to cover her breasts.

"That is quite enough, Kyouraku-taicho," she snapped, wanting to get rid of him at all cost. He was making her nervous and confused, and at this point she would accept his anger as long as he left the room this instant. Of course, Shunsui never really got mad, Nanao knew that by now. He'd just chuckle at her, tip his hat, and walk into the hallway. Kyouraku Shunsui was nothing if not predictable.

But, instead of his usual gallant exit, Shunsui simply stood in the doorway, his expression almost wary as he watched her. This wasn't even one of the occasional Shunsui sulks, Nanao realized uncomfortably. This was something new, something not yet catalogued in her mind alongside the appropriate response.

"Are you sure it's enough?" Shunsui asked quietly after a moment, and Nanao blinked, feeling completely adrift.

"What's enough? You leer—stare—er, being here? Yes, it's enough. I want to get changed. The meeting starts in half an hour."

"Not the meeting." Shunsui stepped into the room, exactly the opposite of what Nanao wanted, and she pursed her lips as he spoke again. "Juushiro. Your relationship with him—is it enough to satisfy you?"

"How am I supposed to know that yet? Wait, why am I answering you? Get out!" Nanao was shocked as the words left her mouth, because she never allowed herself to speak to an authority figure so forcefully. But her desperation to be alone was consuming her better judgment. She _needed_ to be away from Shunsui, because as long as he was there, she couldn't convince her mind to accept her new relationship with Juushiro. It was focused on foolish thoughts of Shunsui, and those thoughts grew more confusing the longer she was around him.

Wrapped up in her uncertainty, it was with some alarm that Nanao realized Shunsui was approaching her. Not wanting to be trapped against the wall behind the headboard, she quickly stood up on the opposite side of the bed. They watched each other carefully, the bed between them a chasm neither one was sure they ought to bridge.

"What does your heart tell you, Nanao-chan?" Shunsui's voice was soft as he spoke. Nanao shook her head.

"I—I don't know what you want me to say. I like Ukitake-taicho, we're together, and that's that. I'll perform all of my duties, you don't have to worry about me being distracted."

"So you have no plans to switch squads?"

Although Nanao had been grasping at straws to keep their conversation professional, it seemed she'd picked the right reason. Of course. This was Shunsui's awkward way of making sure she stayed around to fill out his training forms. Any strange romantic subtext was purely accidental. She felt better now that she understood the situation, and she opened her mouth to calmly assure him that she wouldn't leave. To her surprise, she found it hard to be professional—his selfish concern for his own leisure time suddenly infuriated her.

"That's what this was about?" she snapped. "You're worried about me having a relationship and not being around to do all your work for you? Right, because God _forbid_ I have a life outside of running your errands and doing your paperwork. You know, maybe I should put in for a transfer after all."

Shunsui looked stunned and hurt, and Nanao inwardly cringed. She didn't mean to get angry, and indeed, didn't understand _why_ she'd reacted that way at all. Shunsui had never mistreated her as a captain, and she really did enjoy her work.

"Kyouraku-taicho, I didn't mean—"

"No, Nanao-chan, I understand. You would rather be with Juushiro, I can respect that. I'll tell Yama-jii that I approve the transfer. You should get ready for the meeting now." Shunsui reached up to pull the brim of his hat down low, obscuring his face. He turned to walk back to the door, and Nanao dashed around the bed to grab his pink sleeve. His voice, dull and resigned, almost made her want to cry.

"Wait, I don't want to—" Shunsui smiled gently down at her.

"I know, I'll wait until you and Juushiro make it public and submit the formal request." He reached over and lightly lifted her hand from his sleeve, letting go as soon as her hand was clear. Her skin tingled where he'd touched it, and she cradled the hand in her other one as she watched the door shut behind him.

What had just happened?

Why couldn't she conjure up the memory of Juushiro's lips even though she was free of Shunsui's unnerving stare?

Why did it make her so incredibly angry that all Shunsui ever wanted her for was work?

BREAK

Shunsui stood beside Nanao at the daily meeting as if nothing had happened. He was aware that she was holding herself stiffer than usual, and he assumed she was embarrassed by their earlier conversation. That didn't surprise him, he was also embarrassed—he just wasn't in the habit of showing it.

That morning's encounter had been a disaster. Shunsui had no intention of putting Nanao on the spot, but when he walked in and she had that goofy look on her face, he could no longer restrain the jealousy. Nanao was normally stoic, competent, dependable, and Shunsui wished more than anything that he had been the one to free her from that shell. He'd always known there was so much more there, but apparently it had been a mistake to take the slow route and built up her confidence over time.

"Kenpachi will not be joining us today; he's still out with his squad searching for the murderer." Several of the captains and lieutenants shot each other smirks, knowing it was more likely that Kenpachi was simply lost. "I disseminated Nanao's report among the squads last evening, so you should all have a description of our target. I'm pleased to see that you've recovered, Nanao." Genryuusai gave Nanao a brief smile, and she nodded crisply.

"We should have a plan for something other than random searches," Hitsugaya Toushiro spoke up. "I think we should draw him into the open. This searching is working against us and spreading our forces thin."

"While I agree with you in theory, in reality, we have no idea what he actually wants," Genryuusai answered with a frown.

"Other than the services of a pretty girl," Mayuri murmured, and Shunsui noticed Nanao's cheeks go red.

"That's beside the point," he said smoothly, before anyone could comment and increase Nanao's embarrassment. "We wouldn't have to search randomly if we could find his reiatsu. How is he masking it? Mayuri, weren't you working on that?" Mayuri shifted uncomfortably.

"I was, but my lab is understaffed—"

"Oh, so you found nothing. Okay then. How are we going to get around that problem? As it stands, this fellow can pop out of nowhere, cause serious damage, and vanish before we can catch him."

"I'll keep working on it," Mayuri muttered, shooting Shunsui a dirty look. Shunsui smiled back tightly, too frustrated to feign nonchalance.

"Up to this point, he's stayed in Rukongai," Genryuusai continued after a moment of awkward silence among the captains and lieutenants. "Although I'm aware that this could be a ploy to draw us all out of Seireitai, I think we need to increase our power in Rukongai. Byakuya and Renji, I want you to stay here with your squad as a last line of defense. Everyone else besides Fourth Squad, you're to spread out through Rukongai and patrol. If you can, I encourage you to engage this man, with the intent to capture."

"Yamamoto-taicho," Kuchiki Byakuya said calmly, "Has someone looked into the fact that the murderer was dressed like a shinigami?"

"Not yet, but they're about to. Shunsui, Juushiro, and Nanao, since you served us so well during the Bound crisis, I want the three of you to figure out exactly who this fellow is."

Of all the possible assignments Shunsui could have received, this was the worst possible one. He was supposed to be locked in the library all day with Nanao and Juushiro? It would be less painful to be run through by the mystery murderer, as far as Shunsui was concerned. The last thing he needed was his face rubbed in his losses.

"I don't think Juushiro and Nanao need my assistance," he drawled, trying to sound as if he didn't actually care. "Nanao has met this guy, and Juushiro is a master researcher. I was really quite useless last time, to be honest. I would rather be out on patrol."

"Kyouraku Shunsui, now is not the time to try and get out of your duties," Genryuusai snapped. Shunsui held up a hand.

"Calm down, Yama-jii. I'm not trying to get out of anything, I promise. I'm in the mood to fight today, that's all. Put me with one of our captain-less lieutenants—I can manage without Nanao for one day." _Consider it practice_, he thought to himself as Genryuusai nodded.

"Fine. Kira, you and Third Squad will work with Eighth for the day. I expect you'll keep an eye on Shunsui here. This meeting is over."

Most of the captains sent their lieutenants off to alert the rest of their squads; Nanao frowned up at Shunsui before he could tell her that he and Kira would handle all that, and she should just go stand with Juushiro.

"What are you trying to pull?" she demanded in a low voice. Shunsui pulled his hat lower over his eyes.

"Nothing. I just don't feel like sitting around the library all day. You and Juushiro are more suited to that than I am; I guess it's something you have in common with him."

"You never complained before."

"Was there a choice before?"

"I don't recall there being one now. You're avoiding me, that's what this is. Kyouraku-taicho, I swear, I'm not—" Shunsui turned to look down at her, his eyes hard.

"I'm not avoiding you, Ise-fukutaicho. I'm preparing for the future, and you should be too. Get used to working with Juushiro, it'll make the transition easier. Meanwhile, I'm going to test some replacements. Good luck." Although it took supreme effort to keep his voice cool and steady, he just barely managed it before he tore his eyes away from Nanao and headed for Kira.

He thought Nanao would be thanking him; he just gave her a whole uninterrupted day with Juushiro, squirreled away alone in the library. Why was she protesting? Was she starting to feel guilty? It didn't matter to Shunsui, because their argument that morning had shown him that as long as he was around her, his desire would never leave. He would always want to touch her, and would always resent Juushiro for taking her heart. That was no way to live, and he refused to torture himself simply to assuage Nanao's conscience. She'd forget about him soon anyway; how could her former boss compete with her lover for her affection?

He forced himself to think about strategy for about five minutes as he spoke with Kira. He didn't want any group smaller than three people, and preferably the groups would all stay within shouting range of each other. Nanao had depended on the Hell Butterflies yesterday, and it had ended in disaster. Now they had to eschew magic and hope the murderer couldn't find a way to negate numbers as well.

After Kira left to brief his squad, Shunsui took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. He had to go tell his own squad, and then concentrate on nothing by searching all day. But first, he needed some sake. He had a feeling this day would be impossible without a drink. Well, maybe several drinks.

"Shunsui, care to tell me what's going on?" Shunsui jumped at the soft voice behind him, but masked it with a dramatic whirl of robes as he spun to face Rangiku.

"Nothing's going on, pet," he smiled broadly. She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, please. You only spent half the night in bed, I didn't see you this morning, and now you're saying you don't want to work with your best friend. Something's going on. Are you worried about Nanao-chan?"

"Ahh, you got me." Shunsui tried to smile sheepishly, although he was grateful Rangiku had given him a convenient excuse. "I'm just not sure if she's ready to work again, you know?"

"She's a very strong girl. She wouldn't be out here if she couldn't handle it."

"You don't know Nanao-chan, then. She won't stop until she's unconscious, no matter what's wrong with her. I don't want her to overdo things." He glanced over his shoulder to see Nanao deep in conversation with Juushiro, both of them smiling. He winced, and turned around just in time to see Rangiku nodding.

"True, but she's also not stupid. At the very least, she'll listen to Ukitake-taicho." Rangiku's voice was upbeat but tired; the captains and lieutenants who weren't up all night still felt the pressure. Even if it weren't in his best interest to hide his feelings for Nanao, Shunsui knew that pressing the issue would mean more stress for Rangiku. Whatever else they were, their friendship had come first.

"You're probably right," he admitted, his voice purposely light. "He'll take good care of her. You know, I could take care of you, too . . ." Shunsui allowed his voice to trail off suggestively. Why not flirt? It was an effective change of subject, and it held the promise of a distraction later in the day.

"I'll bet you could. What would you say to lunch?" Rangiku's smile was weary but willing, and Shunsui assumed that she welcomed the distraction as much as he did, albeit for different reasons.

"I'd say, see you then," he drawled, tipping his straw hat. "But in the meantime, I need to get my people out there in search of this fellow. Who knows? Maybe he'll be captured by lunch and we can play all afternoon."

"Now_ there's_ a thought. Hitsugaya-taicho and I are in the command center this morning, so I need to get down there. He always complains when I'm late." Rangiku winked at him before heading for the hallway, and Shunsui sighed.

"Guess I'd better get to work, too," he mumbled, shooting another glance at Nanao and Juushiro as he left the meeting room. Nanao was listening attentively to something Juushiro was saying, probably about research methods or something else that would bore Shunsui to tears. Despite that fact, though, he still wanted to stand beside Nanao and listen, if just to watch her from the corner of his eye.

Oh, the sacrifices he had to make. He had a feeling they were only going to get worse.

BREAK

It had taken Nanao about two hours to get used to working alongside Juushiro with their newfound intimacy. They'd researched side by side before, but there had been no physical contact then. Now, every so often, Juushiro would reach out distractedly to brush his hand over her hair, and after she got comfortable, Nanao would lean her head against his shoulder when her eyes started to ache from staring at the computer screen. He hadn't kissed her again, despite the fact that they had been alone for the whole day, and Nanao couldn't decide whether to be frustrated or grateful.

She couldn't figure out what game Shunsui was playing with his refusal to help research, but it annoyed her to no end. Her mind was half on the long list of shinigami names and half on a mental rebuke of her captain. There was nothing left over for a kiss from Juushiro, although perhaps it could steal some space back if he tried . . .

"Well, that's Sixth Squad down," Juushiro announced in a tired voice. "Since we can skip Eighth, we're halfway done."

"Finally," Nanao groaned. They'd been sitting in front of computers all day, reading through lists of shinigami. Nanao clicked on the names of males she didn't know to check their picture, and Juushiro called out male names he didn't know for her to come look at the pictures. So far, they hadn't found a match, and it was getting late in the afternoon.

"I can't figure out how no one knows this guy—people generally give off signs when they're about to snap like this. If he just left his barracks in the middle of the night to attack the guards, it was likely something he was planning for a while. But why now?"

"Myabe we can check who has been disciplined recently? But I think it was more than that. He said that something was stolen from him, and he grabbed—er, me. So, a woman? Did he lose a girlfriend or a wife?"

"But why would Soul Society steal someone's wife?" Juushiro was quiet for a moment. "You know, I think we can filter the list by men who are also married, but we don't keep track of girlfriends."

"You don't think—maybe his wife cheated on him with another Shinigami?"

"But why blame all of the Shinigami for that, especially when he IS a Shinigami?" Juushiro leaned back in his chair. "I mean, I can understand if she died in battle and he thought it was unjustified or she didn't get back-up in time, but—" He sat up and turned to stare at Nanao, who was already typing on her keyboard, having had the same realization.

"I can set the filters for married male Shinigami—we have no way of finding her if she was a girlfriend, so I hope they got married—and then we can scroll down the list and look for 'deceased' by the wife's name," Nanao explained, more for her own benefit than Juushiro's. He stood up and leaned over her shoulder while she marked checkboxes, lightly kissing the top of her head.

"You're so smart," he murmured in her ear as the first results began to come up on the screen. She blushed, but didn't say anything.

They were silent for a while, looking for a Shinigami whose wife was dead. There were a few possibilities, but so far none had been the right person. Nanao scrolled quickly past Kaien's name, not wanting to remind Juushiro of his former lieutenant.

He really _did_ need a lieutenant, now that Nanao thought about it. His fans really weren't up to performing all the important tasks of a lieutenant, and she had extensive experience. Working with Juushiro would be a lot easier than working with Shunsui, anyway. Juushiro probably did his own paperwork, and knew which squad members were assigned where at any given time. And really, it would be nice to deal with someone wasn't always halfway to drunk. Maybe they could have coherent conversations—

"Wait, what about that one?" Nanao blinked at the sound of Juushiro's voice, and stared harder at the screen. She must have been zoning out thinking about Shunsui and missed a potential Shinigami. How embarrassing! She quickly clicked on the name, closing her eyes to gather her thoughts.

"Well?" Juushiro prompted softly. Nanao opened her eyes and gasped, Shunsui forgotten. She'd caught only a brief profile view of the murdering Shinigami before he dropped her, but the database had both straight on and profile images. Right there in front of her was the murderer's face, above the heading Nakamura Katsuo.

"That's him!" Chills raced through her body, and Juushiro wrapped an arm around shoulders.

"Good work. Look at his zanpakutou's power—we're lucky he's so young. In twenty years, this kid could have become a lieutenant." The "Zanpakutou:" field was filled in with, "Manzemi no Kousai." [Brilliance of Ten Thousand Cicadas The field right next to it read, "sound."

"That's how he masks his reiatsu. If he can create sound wave interference, he'd block our senses." Nanao felt a mix of pride and fear; she was thrilled to have found the guy, but sometimes seeing someone's powers made him even more fearsome.

"What I don't get is how he took out so many of our people. He wasn't even listed as a seat. At any rate, we need to print this out and get it to Yamamoto-taicho." Juushiro reached down to hit the Print key, and walked over to grab the sheet of paper from the printer. Nanao sighed, covering her face with her hands. She was tired and emotionally drained—while the murderer had to be caught, she wondered if she had the strength to last until he was.

"Nanao-chan? Are you okay?" The soft voice didn't startle her, and she turned slowly to look up at Juushiro.

"I guess. It's just—so much has happened in just two days, and I'm tired. But, it's my duty to keep going. I just don't know how long I can do that." Juushiro lifted his hand to run it over her hair, smiling gently.

"I promise you, after this is over, we'll go somewhere relaxing."

"That sounds nice." Although her smile was tremulous, she was able to keep from crying. Juushiro leaned down to kiss her lightly, and then he held out a hand to help her up.

"Come on, we'll take this to headquarters and sic Kenpachi on him. I'm sure someone will figure out how to break through his mask." Nanao too k his proffered hand and followed him outside into the fading sunlight. They were about to take the first flash step toward Genryuusai's office when a high-pitched whining filled the air. Juushiro doubled over and Nanao fell to her knees, covering her ears and wincing.

Juushiro yelled her name, so Nanao glanced at him, but he was looking at something beyond her. She turned her head to see Nakamura Katsuo standing there, zanpakutou drawn. As soon as she noticed him, the screeching noise stopped.

"I had a feeling someone would figure out to check the rolls. Took you long enough to find me, though." As he stepped forward, Nanao scrambled to her feet.

"Whatever you're doing, it won't bring your wife back," she told him, her voice wavering a little. "If you stop now, maybe Yamamoto-taicho will forgive you."

"I'm not going to stand here and argue with you," Katsuo snapped. "I didn't come for forgiveness—I came for a bargaining chip." He lifted his zanpakutou and swept it down, creating a light blue wave of power. It shot out of his sword and rammed Juushiro before he could dodge; he blocked some of the energy, but the force knocked him back a little. While he was trying to stay upright and Nanao was watching him, Katsuo ran forward and scooped up Nanao under one arm.

"What the hell!?" she yelled, struggling. Katsuo laughed.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you until it's completely necessary." He tightened his grip and flash stepped before she could answer, and then Nanao was too caught up trying to breathe the rushing air to say anything.

BREAK

"And then he, um, took her," Juushiro reported quietly. There hadn't been many captains or lieutenants close enough to Seireitei to attend the emergency meeting, but Shunsui was among those standing in the small semicircle.

"What do you mean, 'took her?'" he asked sharply, and Juushiro glanced over at him.

"I mean, he picked up her up and ran off!"

"Are you kidding me? Look at this guy—you're telling me you stood there and let some regular guy run off with a lieutenant? What the hell kind of captain are you?"

Everyone looked shocked, knowing that Shunsui and Juushiro had been best friends since the Academy. They never fought, at least not in public. But, they didn't know about the ice Juushiro's report dumped into Shunsui's blood, the numbness in his face, or the overwhelming sense of loss and failure. Nanao was missing, maybe gone for good, and Juushiro had let it happen. It didn't matter how long Shunsui had known Juushiro, or how much like brothers they were. Shunsui was furious.

"Shunsui, this isn't the time to place blame—"

"Yes it is, old man." Shunsui waved off Genryuusai, who raised his eyebrows and murmured, "Oh, really?" too low for Shunsui to hear.

"Damn it Juushiro, I trusted you with Nanao-chan. She was your—was your responsibility, and you fucked it up!" Shunsui was right in front of Juushiro now, as angry as anyone had ever seen him. Juushiro stood rigid, not meeting his eyes.

"I tried my best—"

"Bullshit!" Shunsui only meant to take out some of his anger verbally, but it overwhelmed him and the words weren't relieving enough of the pain. So, he punched Juushiro. He felt better as soon as his fist connected with Juushiro's face, although he had a feeling there'd be repercussions later.

"Are you happy now?" Juushiro growled. "How do you think I feel?" He held a hand to his face, which was already turning purple.

"Not half as bad as I do," Shunsui snapped. "I'm going to find Nanao-chan."

"And how will you find her?" Genryuusai asked pointedly. Shunsui turned to look at him, smiling in an uncharacteristically creepy way.

"I have a plan."


	4. Chapter 4

Bleach and all its characters are copyright Kubo Tite.

AN: Due to the long wait for chapters 4 and 5, I decided not to go through the beta process. So, I apologize for any typos or errors. I've finished law school and the bar exam now, so I should have more time to write. Sorry about the delay.

Juushiro watched Shunsui cautiously as the other captain paced in front of Genryuusai and the handful of other captains and lieutenants. Komamura Sajin and his lieutenant Iba Tetsuzaemo had been stationed in Seireitei with their Seventh Squad in the event that the murderer broke through the searchers; Soi Fong was there as well, since she was commanding the Covert Operations team from the central location, along with Kotetsu Isane, attending the meeting on behalf of the Fourth Squad captain.

"Now that we know this fellow has a sound-based zanpakutou, I think we can assume he is using sound waves to hide his reiatsu. Obviously, they're either too high- or low-pitched for us to hear, or else we could just follow the noise." Shunsui spoke tersely, frowning as he paced. "But even if our ears can't hear it, a dog's ears could. We don't have a dog . . . but we have a fox. Komamura, your hearing is as keen as a dog's, right?"

"Yes," Sajin answered warily.

"Then I'm sure you know where I'm going with this. If you go out into Rukongai, wherever you hear the loud noise is where we'll find Nanao-chan."

"Kyouraku, I'm not your pet bloodhound," Sajin rumbled. "But this man has killed our brothers and kidnapped your lieutenant. I will help you find him and bring him to justice." Shunsui nodded.

"Thank you, Komamura. We need to get word to Zaraki that we're going in as soon as we find Nakamura. I'm going to need back-up from Eleventh Squad if he's got any bodyguards. My people are currently going door to door, and if we pull them, he may figure out that we're on his trail."

"Why not just send Zaraki?" Soi Fong asked. "The more separate groups in on the plan, the more complicated it gets.

"I have to go—I obviously made a mistake letting someone else be responsible for Nanao-chan once before, and I won't make the same mistake again. I'll head out with Komamura and a Hell Butterfly and let you know when we find Nakamura, and you can send Zaraki over. Assuming you can find him, of course."

"You can't go in until Zaraki gets there," Genryuusai spoke up. Shunsui's expression hardened.

"If I want to attack, I will. Komamura will be with me; if we can't hold our own until Eleventh Squad shows up, we shouldn't be captains. We're wasting time here talking about this. Let's go." Shunsui turned to leave, but Juushiro spoke up.

"Shunsui, I'm coming with you."

Shunsui paused, his back to Juushiro. Juushiro had been his best friend for years, and they had never had a serious fight until now. Shunsui was surprised by the strength of his anger, but then again, the strength of all his feelings over the last two days had come as a surprise. He had confronted his feelings for Nanao at the same time as he watched another man take her away. The anger was a distraction from his sorrow: as long as he could blame Juushiro and wallow in righteous vengeance, he could ignore the heaviness in his chest from losing Nanao. Even if it seemed immature, Shunsui intended to prolong this distraction as long as possible.

"We can handle it," he told Juushiro coldly, not turning around.

"I don't care. I know you're mad at me, but how do you think I feel?" There was a moment of silence as Shunsui wrestled with himself. Genryuusai made the decision before he could answer.

"Shunsui, you've never gone anywhere without Juushiro. Don't start now." Genryuusai's voice had a tone of warning; since Shunsui was completely aware of what he was doing and why he was doing it, he knew exactly what his old teacher was getting at. He sighed, knowing that he had to do what was right even if he'd rather sulk.

"Fine. We have to move now, so it's not worth arguing over," Shunsui said grudgingly. Juushiro nodded to Genryuusai in gratitude before Shunsui took off for Rukongai and Juushiro and Komamura were bound to follow.

BREAK

Nanao was not particularly comfortable. Nakamura Katsuo had tied her to a bed in a small home that looked like every other home on its street. She didn't know where in Rukongai they were or who owned this house, but it obviously hadn't been cleaned in a long time. It smelled like garbage, and the sheets on the bed were gray with dirt and grime. She wrinkled her nose and tugged on the ropes holding her wrists to the bedposts.

"Sorry it's not up to your exacting standards," Katsuo said sarcastically, walking over from the small kitchen carrying a cup. "Tea? No, I suppose not." He sipped from his cup as he stood by the bed looking down at her. His eyes had a vacant look, and Nanao suspected he wasn't all there.

"What are you trying to achieve?" she demanded. "Even if you use me as a hostage, what can you get that the shinigami can't just take away again? One man can't stand against the entire shinigami force."

"Oh, there's no way they can take this away," he told her, smiling calmly at her. "I want a life, in recompense for my wife's life. Specifically, I want a captain's life, because they're almost as important to the shinigami as my wife was to me." Nanao stared at him for a moment while she processed his demand.

"Wait. You think that by holding me hostage, the shinigami will just _give_ you a captain to kill? I think you've overestimated my importance." Nanao's mind raced, trying to think about how to get out of this predicament. If he thought that she wasn't worth anything as a hostage, he would most likely kill her instead of letting her go, so that had probably been the wrong thing to say. But maybe she could talk him into turning himself in so that no one else had to die at all. That would be the best outcome.

"No, no, I know just how important you are. You're Ise Nanao-fukutaicho. They may have abandoned any other lieutenant, but you won't be abandoned."

"What do you mean? I'm no more important than any other lieutenant. Look at people like Aburai Renji, who can do a bankai—they're much more useful than I am. Listen, if you just let me go and turn yourself in, I can talk to Yamamoto-taicho and explain that it was a misunderstanding—"

"No! It wasn't a misunderstanding! I spent too long planning this and setting traps for the shinigami to give up now. This is all part of my plan." He continued to smile at her, speaking calmly despite the desperate gleam in his eyes. "You're part of it too, Ise-fukutaicho. I knew I couldn't trap a captain, but I found the perfect lieutenant. You'll deliver your captain right into my hands."

"Wait, what?"

"I need a captain's life. The shinigami won't give me one, so I need one of them to _offer_ his life to me. The only way I could get one to willingly offer his life is to take something precious to him. It's perfectly clear to anyone with eyes that Kyouraku Shunsui is in love with you, so you're the perfect bait, Ise-fukutaicho." Katsuo laughed, and Nanao stared at him in complete shock.

"You're insane," she finally sputtered, forgetting she had to make nice so he wouldn't kill her. "Kyouraku-taicho doesn't love me—I'm just someone who does his paperwork so he can sit around and drink all day. Trust me, he doesn't care about me at all." Her tone was bitter, and as she looked at Katsuo defiantly, half the anger was really for Shunsui. He only thought of her as a servant, so was it any wonder that she'd fallen for Ukitake Juushiro instead? Wait, instead? Since when was Shunsui a viable option?

"You're not as smart as you think you are, lieutenant," Katsuo chuckled. "I stood there at ceremonies and rallies for years, watching the looks he gave you out of the corner of his eye. We had a pool going for how long it would take him to bed you."

"That's ridiculous," Nanao spat. "There is just no way that he loves me, or wants to bed me, or whatever. You'd better just give me back now, because you're wasting your time." Nanao's fury was rising, and a part of her mind wondered why she was getting so angry that Shunsui didn't love her. It could be that she had been kidnapped for no reason, but she was getting more upset with each repudiation of Shunsui's feelings. Juushiro loved her, so what was the problem?

"I'm not wasting my time! My beloved wife is dead, because the shinigami leadership fucked up and created something it couldn't control. A captain could have saved her, but they were all too busy 'researching' and trying to pin the blame on everyone but themselves. So now I want a captain's life in vengeance, and Kyouraku Shunsui is going to be that captain." Katsuo's voice was hard and sharp, and Nanao found herself cringing, a spike of fear cutting through her anger. Maybe she couldn't get out of this after all.

"I don't think you understand the situation," she said wearily, her will to fight draining away as she realized how much danger she and the shinigami were truly in. If one of the captains actually did decide to commit suicide to save her, they'd be out yet another captain. If no one came forward, she would be killed. Just great. Shunsui was definitely out, selfish buffoon as he was—and Nanao pursed her lips as she thought that—but maybe one of the others would try to be gallant. Like . . .

"I understand it quite well, Ise-fukutaicho," Katsuo said earnestly, sitting beside her on the bed. Nanao automatically tried to scoot over, but the ropes held her tightly in place. "Kyouraku Shunsui will give his life to save yours, and I will have my vengeance."

Nanao was barely listening. Katsuo's plan wouldn't work on Shunsui, but there was a chance it could work on Juushiro instead. She went cold at the thought. Juushiro didn't sign up to die when he asked her out. It wasn't fair that his life could potentially be in jeopardy because some asshole thought Shunsui loved her. Shunsui didn't, of course, but she thought that Juushiro might.

But didn't she love him too? She'd been mooning over Juushiro for so long that she had been grateful to finally snag him, but she didn't feel the fireworks she'd been anticipating. They were comfortable together, yes, but wasn't there supposed to be passion? If the truth be known—and at this point, there was no point in lying to herself anymore—she was disappointed in this so-called love thing. It had to be more than comfort. There should be fire and glory and _life_. The thing was, Nanao basically felt the same way she had before she started dating Juushiro. That couldn't be right.

"Ise-fukutaicho? Nanao? What are you thinking about? Are you thinking about losing your lover? I didn't do this to hurt you personally, you have to know that." Katsuo sounded soothing now, like he desperately needed her to understand this point, to understand his motives. "I'm going to leave you feeling just the same way I feel, and I don't like doing that. But, you can be sure that this whole thing is the shinigami's fault, so when you get angry, you know who to blame."

"I already know whom to blame," she said dully, turning her head away from him. Her mind was so busy churning through all the possibilities that she didn't have the energy to chat with Katsuo anymore. Juushiro might die, and she might not care. Oh, for sure, she'd be upset that he gave his life to protect her, but she might not feel the unending grief someone truly in love with her soulmate would feel. Katsuo had obviously loved his wife enough to launch a war on the shinigami when she died. Could Nanao kill _Katsuo_ for killing Juushiro? She honestly didn't know.

She thought it made her a bad person, worrying about her boyfriend's death because it would expose her inability to love instead of because she would miss him. Really, that's what this came down to: even when she got the man she wanted, she couldn't love him properly. Every time Shunsui laughed at her for being cold and professional, he'd been right. Damn him, knowing her better than she knew herself. Now she knew Katsuo was wrong about Shunsui, though. If he knew that she was incapable of feeling love, there was no way he could be in love with her himself. That would take more stupidity than even Shunsui possessed.

While she was thinking, Katsuo leaned over so that his face was right in front of hers, and she turned her head back to look at him, flinching at how close he was.

"Ise-fukutaicho, I need one more thing from you. I'm sorry, I don't want to hurt you. But, I need to make sure Kyouraku takes my bait. If my calculations are right, he should be here soon, and I need him to be greeted by the right scene." Katsuo's eyes were wide, and he had a slight smile that sent chills down Nanao's spine.

"I have no idea what you mean," Nanao sighed. It seemed useless to fight back now. Katsuo had no clue who was most likely to take his bait and die for a woman who didn't deserve it.

"Then I'll show you." Katsuo's voice was filled with a strange glee as he spoke. He reached up with one hand to yank open the front of her kimono, and Nanao gasped, straining against her bonds.

"What the hell?!" she yelled, bucking her body. Katsuo's creepy smile widened.

"It's the surest way to infuriate a man, to touch his woman," he said matter of factly, before dipping his mouth to her bare breasts. "Besides, it's been months since I've been with a woman, since my wife died." His hand began to slide down under her kimono, and she squirmed.

"Get your hands off me!" Nanao shrieked, thrashing as much as she could when tied securely to the bed. It felt disgusting to have Katsuo's hands on her body and his breath on her skin, but she couldn't think of anything to do to stop him.

BREAK

"It's loudest right there," Sajin told Shunsui, wincing. "It's very high-pitched, and it's giving me a headache."

"Don't worry, we'll shut if off soon, old boy," Shunshi told him, eyeing the nondescript wooden building. It was a home just like every other one on the block, with no flowerpots or even colored shutters to set it apart. Sajin traced the whine of Katsuo's zanpakutou back to this home, and if Katsuo was there, Nanao had to be there too.

The shinigami were purposely moderating their own reiatsu so they could sneak up on the building, and Shunsui was fairly certain they were still undetected. If a whole group amassed outside the building, though, Katsuo would surely sense them and they would lose the element of surprise.

"I'll send a butterfly to Zaraki, and then we'll go in," Shunsui murmured to Sajin, who stared at the building for a moment.

"You realize how many shinigami he has killed, right?" he finally said, glancing sideways at Shunsui. Shunsui didn't look at him, but continued to stare at the house as well.

"I'm also aware that he's a single man who has my lieutenant captive, and we are three captains of the shinigami. It shouldn't even be a fair fight." Shunsui muttered something to a Hell Butterfly, and released it to fly to Zaraki Kenpachi, who would in theory—provided he didn't get lost—arrive as backup. Shunsui didn't intend to need backup, though. Three captains against one lone ex-shinigami? It should be simple.

"Shunsui is right," Juushiro said quietly, leaning forward to speak to them both. "The longer we wait, the more danger Nanao-chan is in." Shunsui winced at someone else using an intimate suffix for Nanao's name, but kept his lips firmly pressed together. They had to work together now. This was not the time.

"That is true. I just wanted to make sure you were both aware."

"We are." Shunsui patted Sajin on the shoulder; Sajin looked unhappy at being touched, but Shunsui ignored it. "Here's my plan. I'll go through the front door, and Juushiro, you take the back door. Sajin, you back me up." The other captains nodded, and Juushiro started walking toward the side of the building. Suddenly, all three captains froze when they heard a scream.

"Get your hands off me!"

Juushiro went pale, and turned back toward Shunsui, his mouth open to speak. Shunsui didn't see him. He didn't see anything but the door in front of him, which he burst through with one kick before he even realized what he was doing. The door was not locked—Katsuo had been expecting him.

That fact was made abundantly clear when Shunsui quickly spun around, taking in the room to look for Nanao and Katsuo, both swords drawn. Katsuo was sprawled over Nanao's nearly naked body, hands on her breasts and head inclined toward her stomach. He turned to face Shunsui, his pleased smile at odds with the crazed gleam in his eyes.

"Oh, look, the sacrifice is here," he said calmly, sitting up on the edge of the bed. Shunsuitook several steps forward menacingly, but Katsuo reached out to wrap his hand around Nanao's throat.

"Let her go," Shunsui growled. He heard Sajin and Juushiro run into the house behind him as he spoke. "You're facing three shinigami captains. You can't win."

"Oh, I've already won. I fully intend to die, you see. I win as long as I take one of you with me."

"Impossible."

"I think not. See, Kyouraku Shunsui-taicho, I'm going to kill Ise Nanao-fukutaicho, unless you offer yourself in her place. I want the life of a captain to pay for the life of my beloved wife." Katsuo drew his zanpakutou with his other hand and removed his hand from Nanao's throat, replacing it with the sword's blade. "I've dropped the barrier, so my reiatsu should be traceable now. I don't care if they come. But, if anyone else attacks before I get your life, Ise-fukutaicho will die."

Shunsui stared at Nanao and the blade against her neck with horror. It was so close to important parts of her body; there was no way he could get off an attack at Katsuo without hitting Nanao too or giving him time to slice her head off. Nanao was looking right at him, her eyes wide, with a combination of fear, sorrow, shock, and regret. Shunsui blinked against its intensity, and glanced back to Katsuo.

"Why me? I wasn't your captain. I don't even know you! Why torture Nanao-chan like this?"

"Why, you were the easiest target! None of the other captains left themselves quite as open as you did. You practically set Ise-fukutaicho up for this!"

"I think you'd better explain in detail," Juushiro said, his voice tight. Shunsui could feel Juushiro tense next to him, and wondered if the other captain felt the same way Shunsui did. He was so afraid for Nanao's life that he could barely move. Even though she didn't love him, even though she was with his best friend, Shunsui knew he couldn't bear to see anything happen to her. He felt that even if Katsuo didn't kill him, if Nanao died it would be the same as if he himself had been killed after all. Nanao could survive his death, but he could not survive hers.

"I'll be glad to explain," Katsuo said calmly. "But remember, that if anyone else gets here . . ."

"Our backup is Eleventh Squad—Zaraki Kenpachi will be late. But, no threats in the world will keep you alive once he arrives. How about you get to that explanation while you can still talk?" Shunsui snapped.

"Certainly. I'm sure you all remember the Bound, right? Well, when they first showed up, Seireitei sent out lower-ranked shinigami to make sure they didn't destroy anything too important. But, they couldn't admit that monsters of their own making were wreaking havoc in their own city, so they tried to cover it up. To write it off, like it was some pesky little rumor with no basis in reality. There were ten captains then, and the majority of them stayed in their precious fortress, depending on the lower shinigami and a handful of captains to protect them. I hear you both, Kyouraku and Ukitake, along with Nanao, were in the _library_. The library! While people were _dying_ for you! Sure, finally Hitsugaya took over and the captains stepped in, but before that, a hundred shinigami died because of creatures that Seireitei created in the first place—and no one cared! If you all hadn't been so busy hiding your mistakes, those people wouldn't have died. My wife, who was sent out to fight the Bound with only a few other people and no captain as backup, died because of your damn egos!" Katsuo was visibly upset, and took a breath. "I know you don't care if my wife is dead, but I do. Kyouraku Shunsui, I want your life as recompense."

"But why Shunsui? Why Nanao? I was in the library too, and I'm the one dating Nanao. You should be going after me, not Shunsui. He didn't do anything to make Nanao-chan deserve this at all!" Juushiro spoke up. "And Nanao isn't a captain! Let her go, and you can have me!"

Katsuo looked surprised for a second, then looked down at Nanao in thought. Shunsui wasn't surprised at Juushiro's speech—he had in fact been expecting it from the moment Katsuo pressed the sword to Nanao's throat. The situation really did seem lose-lose-lose to Shunsui. He could die, his love could die, or his best friend could die. At this rate, one of those conclusions was inevitable. Sajin was hamstrung by the blade at Nanao's neck as well, and if Kenpachi showed up, the Eleventh Squad captain wouldn't even have a chance to rescue Nanao before Katsuo killed her.

He met Nanao's eyes for an instant before she looked at Juushiro, but her gaze told him everything he needed to know. There was so much sadness there that it had to be because she feared for Juushiro's life. She hadn't appeared so sad when it was Shunsui's life on the line, and that made up his mind. His primary goal was to make Nanao happy, and she would be happier with Juushiro alive than with him alive. So be it.

"So, you say you're dating this beautiful young lieutenant?" Katsuo asked Juushiro, who nodded once. Katsuo shrugged. "I don't really care which of you dies, but I thought I was getting Kyouraku. He made it pretty plain he was in love with her." Shunsui carefully avoided Nanao's eyes while Katsuo said this. He didn't want Nanao to feel guilty for loving Juushiro instead of him. Now that the moment was upon him, Shunsui found himself strangely calm at giving his life to allow Nanao and Juushiro to start a new one together. He had been heading down this road ever since he saw Nanao kissing Juushiro. There was no way Shunsui could get over his love or his jealousy, but those things would eventually destroy his two closest relationships if left unchecked. The only way to make sure everyone was happy forever was for him to die.

"You're right," Shunsui announced, stepping forward and dropping both of his swords to his sides. "I'm in love with Nanao-chan. That's why I can't let Juushiro take my place. Whatever happens, I want Nanao-chan to be happy." He was numb as he turned to Juushiro, no longer able to feel the tension in the room. This was the solution to every problem of the last few days, and he knew it was the right choice. "Juushiro, take care of Nanao. She chose you, and I respect that. She's better off with you anyway, so don't hurt her."

When Shunsui turned back to face Nanao, her eyes were wide, and she was shaking her head. Shunsui smiled gently. "Don't feel bad, Nanao-chan. I'm not mad at you anymore. I want you to be happy with Juushiro."

"No! That won't . . . that's not . . ." Nanao's voice was choked with tears.

"Please, don't cry. This is best. I would do anything for you. My only regret is not telling you earlier that I love you. It's too late now for it to mean anything, but I want you to know—I've always loved you." Shunsui was amazed that his voice could be so steady, especially when Nanao was openly sobbing and shaking her head over and over.

Shunsui dropped one of his swords and raised the other to his abdomen.

"Get your blade away from her," he commanded Katsuo. "I'm going to do it, and you can get to her before Sajin or Juushiro can reach you if I don't."

"Kyouraku-taicho! No! Please, don't! Shunsui-kun, no!" Shunsui tuned out Nanao's pleas, although he gave an internal start at her use of his first name. That was new. But, stress did different things to different people, and Juushiro would be there for her after he was gone.

"Fine. But do it quickly," Katsuo snapped, stepping away from Nanao but leaving his sword hovering over her prone body. He didn't look down at her, though. He was watching Shunsui eagerly as the captain drew a breath to steel himself.


	5. Chapter 5

BREAK

Bleach and all its characters are copyright Kubo Tite.

It was in the moment that Juushiro told Katsuo he would die instead of Shunsui that Nanao knew the truth. She had never really expected Katsuo's plan to work on Shunsui, yet, when it seemed as though the danger would fall on Juushiro instead of Shunsui . . . she felt relief. Not happiness, not at all, but a sense that the worst case scenario had been avoided for something still bad, but not as bad. She could live without Juushiro, but without Shunsui, life would be bleak and boring.

And that was how she knew. It was clear in the instant when the grief she should have felt for Juushiro's death failed to arrive: Juushiro wasn't the one she loved. All along, her true love had been Shunsui. Of course she hadn't seen it, because she didn't _want_ to see it. She didn't want her beloved to be the womanizing slacker captain—she thought the quiet, polite, and industrious Juushiro was much more appropriate for herself. But, in the end, you don't choose your soulmate. Fate had set her with Shunsui, and once she realized her true feelings, she couldn't imagine a life with anyone else.

She felt terrible for Juushiro, trying to give his life for a woman who didn't really love him. He was a very nice man, and he deserved better than her. She didn't know if being mistaken about whom she loved made her a bad person, but letting someone else die for her believing that he was the one she loved was too much.

Yet, even while mourning Juushiro, she had to see Shunsui. What must he be thinking? He didn't love her, but would he allow his best friend to die? As she met Shunsui's eyes, she realized that they were searching for something in her own, and she looked away quickly, while her grief over Juushiro's needless death was the only thing he could see. She couldn't let him know about her feelings, lest he decide that Nanao wanted him to die instead. She didn't want anyone to die, but Shunsui would be her absolute last choice.

Katsuo once again insisted on his ridiculous theory that Shunsui loved her, and then Shunsui stepped forward. Nanao's eyes widened. What was he doing?

"You're right, I'm in love with Nanao-chan. That's why I can't let Juushiro take my place. Whatever happens, I want Nanao-chan to be happy."

It felt like Nanao's heart stopped. Shunsui said he loved her. He was offering his life for hers. She didn't know how to react. Should she be elated he loved her? Sad that he was dying? Or maybe he didn't really love her, and he was only saying he did to rescue Juushiro. She wouldn't put that past him, but how would she know if he was dying for Juushiro or for her? Did it matter? If Shunsui died, the reason would be irrelevant. The important fact would be that she could never see him again.

"Don't feel bad, Nanao-chan. I'm not mad at you anymore. I want you to be happy with Juushiro," Shunsui told her, and she gasped with a sob. Whatever his motivations, he was really planning to die. If he really believed what he was saying, his intentions were completely unnecessary. She didn't want to be happy with Juushiro, she wanted to be happy with Shunsui. Shunsui's death would achieve nothing.

"No! That won't . . . that's not . . ." Nanao wanted to tell him how pointless it would all be were he to die for her, that the only reasonable solution would be to allow her to die so that both men could live, that Shunsui had to live at all costs. She wanted to say that she loved him. But she was crying so hard that the words wouldn't come out, and Shunsui said once again that he loved her. The more he said it, the more she believed him, or the more she wanted to believe him. He did seem truly regretful. His bravado was missing, and he was quietly showing her his soul. It was unbearable.

"Kyouraku-taicho! No! Please, don't! Shunsui-kun, no!" But he only looked away and held one of his swords toward his stomach. Katsuo removed the sword from her throat, but she didn't notice, because she was too busy staring in horror at Shunsui. She had to stop him, or her world would end with him. She had to say it out loud, even if it hurt Juushiro.

"Shunsui-kun, you can't! I love you! Katsuo, just kill me, don't make Shunsui-kun do this!" She was screaming and crying, thrashing on the bed. She wanted to escape her bonds and run to Shunsui and do everything within her power to stop him.

As she confessed her love for Shunsui, three faces turned toward her. Katsuo looked devilishly pleased with himself, Shunsui looked shocked, and Juushiro looked . . . resigned? Could he have known already? Then why would he ask her out?

The only person not watching her was Sajin. He was staring at the roof of the building, as if patiently waiting for something. None of the other men were paying attention to him, and Nanao was the only person who seemed to notice his distraction as her glance skimmed over him.

"Nanao, please. I have to do this," Shunsui finally said, his voice rough. "This is best for everyone."

"Like hell it is! If you kill yourself for me and Nanao, how do you expect me to stand here and watch you die when you and Nanao could be happy together forever?" Juushiro stepped forward, and Shunsui turned toward him.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Shunsui demanded. "Me and Nanao? But you love her, and she loves you. She only said that just now because she doesn't want any shinigami to die."

"You're such an idiot, Shunsui! I knew even before I asked Nanao out that she didn't really love me. She may like me, but it was obvious to everyone but the two of you that you were in love with each other."

"If that's true, then why ask her out, huh?" Shunsui spoke through gritted teeth, his eyes not leaving Katsuo's face.

"I had to try," Juushiro told Shunsui with a small smile. "I've cared for her for a long time, and when she was injured—I couldn't resist, I wanted to hold her. But I knew deep inside that even as she said she loved me, it was really you she loved. As much as I love her in my own way, she needs you more. Let me be the sacrifice."

Katsuo watched the two captains intently, but Nanao was so wracked with emotion that she had to look away. Her eyes landed on Sajin, who was nodding to the ceiling. She was confused, but before she had time to remember how Sajin activated his shikai, the roof splintered into pieces and a giant hand swept in to snatch up Katsuo.

BREAK

"Well, I would have been there earlier if someone would put some damn street signs up," Kenpachi declared loudly, pounding a fist on the table.

"There _are_ signs," Toushiro sighed, and everyone else laughed while Kenpachi looked indignant. Nanao smiled faintly as she looked on, standing nearby. She was only vaguely paying attention to the conversation of the seated captains; she was too busy trying to figure out what was going on with Shunsui.

This was the celebration party for the shinigami's victory over Katsuo, who was tucked safely away in jail. Sajin had held him until Kenpachi's Eleventh Squad arrived to take him into custody—which involved a lot of suffering on Katsuo's part, Nanao was sure. Shunsui had quickly untied her from the bed and yanked her kimono back into place, but to her surprise and disappointment he immediately passed her to Juushiro and walked away. She wanted to chase after him, but Juushiro told her to wait until Shunsui had time to think about everything.

"Juushiro, I'm sorry," she had apologized, looking at the ground. "I really didn't know."

"I understand. I really did know what I was getting into. I didn't know if you would ever realize how you felt about him, but I thought I could at least try to win your heart." He reached out to raise her chin so he could look into her eyes. "I don't regret anything. I would have died for you so you could be happy with Shunsui—and he would have died so you could be happy with me if it were the other way around. I can't stand between the two of you now, though."

"You're a good man, Juushiro-kun," Nanao murmured, new tears forming.

"I wish. You don't want to know how much I want to carry you away," Juushiro laughed lightly, although his eyes were tight. "But I can't. You and Shunsui have always belonged together.

"Thank you." Nanao threw her arms around Juushiro's neck, and he hugged her back with a resigned sigh.

Now, as Nanao watched Juushiro sit calmly at the table and chat with the other captains and some lieutenants, she was overwhelmed with gratitude. If Juushiro had never asked her out, she never would have had to confront her emotions and discover their true direction. And if Juushiro had never let her go, she would never be able to freely give herself to Shunsui without guilt.

But, that was the problem. No one had seen Shunsui since the face-off with Katsuo. He wasn't in any of his usual drinking spots, his bedroom, or his office. Nanao had even asked Rangiku if he was in her bedroom, but he wasn't there either. Rangiku apologized profusely once Nanao told her the whole story, but it was unnecessary. Nanao wasn't angry at Rangiku for sleeping with Shunsui before either she or Shunsui even declared—or knew—their feelings. She thought that perhaps her crush on Juushiro may have been a protective reaction, but there was no way to know for sure.

Nanao sighed. Everyone around her, sitting or standing in groups, was so happy to have the mystery resolved, but it was hard for her to enjoy the party. She felt like an idiot, thinking about a man when she should be relaxing. This just wasn't _her_ at all. No wonder she'd repressed her feelings for Shunsui, if they would make her act like a besotted teenager.

"I need to talk to you."

The low voice in her ear made Nanao jump, and she spun around to gape at an extra-scruffy-looking Shunsui. He smiled at her wanly. She suspected for a moment that he was drunk, but his eyes were sharp, more tired than inebriated.

"Of course," she said quietly, too stunned at suddenly seeing him to be especially eloquent.

He held out a hand toward her. Nanao's heart wrenched at the offer, and she glanced over her shoulder instinctively to see if someone was watching her. Everyone seemed distracted by the party, and she turned back to see Shunsui smiling at her again.

"Don't worry, no one's going to see you showing an emotion," he told her with a wink. Nanao could see her old self pursing her lips and turning away at that comment, but right now she didn't have it in her to be offended. Shunsui's gentle teasing somehow seemed harmless now.

She reached out slowly to put her hand in Shunsui's, and he quickly led her away from the party. The festivities were set up outside in Seireitei, in a large open courtyard. Shunsui took her around one of the shinigami administrative buildings bordering the courtyard. Behind the building, a small garden stood empty. Shunsui guided her toward a marble bench, where he sat beside her.

"Where were you all day?" Nanao asked immediately, intending to assuage her imagination and calm the storm in her head enough to think clearly.

"I went out into the country, actually." Shunsui looked a little sheepish, and Nanao raised her eyebrows. "To Shiba Kuukaku's house, or rather, in the woods nearby. I had to think."

Nanao didn't know what to say to that. Everything she could think of would sound awkward, and she wasn't sure if it was time to bring up their confessions of love. How much small talk was appropriate first?

There was a short silence, during which Shunsui still held Nanao's hand, lightly stroking his thumb over the palm. Nanao became progressively aware of the silence, and was about to blurt out a question, any question, when Shunsui spoke.

"I know this is strange, this whole conversation. I usually have an answer to everything, but I've never done this before." He sighed and rubbed his forehead with his free hand. "It took me a while, but I eventually decided I had to come back and just ask you for the truth and tell you how I feel. I tried to figure out if you were lying to me, but it's impossible."

"Lying? Why would I lie to you?"

"I just couldn't believe—dammit Nanao, tell me the truth! How do you feel about me?" Nanao sucked in a breath. Of course he would be direct, but she didn't know how to talk about her feelings so clearly at all.

"I didn't know at first," she started quietly, trying to just be honest. "I've never lied to you, though. I just didn't know. You're frustrating and rude and lazy, so it never occurred to me that I might . . . that I might be in love with you." She was speaking quickly, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. Shunsui was watching her intently, and she squirmed under his gaze. It was like he was trying to memorize everything she said and every movement she made.

"I liked Juu-, I mean, Ukitake-taicho, he's a nice person. I was excited when he asked me out, but it wasn't like I expected. I kept . . . thinking, er, about you." She ducked her head, reaching the point where she was too embarrassed to continue. Shunsui squeezed her hand, and then dropped it to cup her face with both hands and tilt it up.

"When I saw you kissing Juushiro, I almost lost my mind," he whispered. "I knew you didn't love me, and I knew you could be happy with Juushiro, but that wasn't enough. I've always wanted you, Nanao-chan. I thought I could see you with another man, but I can't."

"But I _did_ love you, I just didn't see it yet. That night, after Ukitake-taicho kissed me? I couldn't sleep because I was thinking of you. I should have seen it then, how stupid can I be?" Nanao groaned, trying to pull away from Shunsui in more embarrassment. He shook his head.

"Nanao, you haven't been stupid a day in your life. Stubborn, yes, but not stupid. That's something I love about you—you always know exactly what needs to be done. I couldn't find my hat if it weren't on my head. I mean, how long did it take me to tell you how I feel, huh? I've known the whole time, I don't have any excuses."

"Wait, when Nakamura said everyone knew we were in love, was that true?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Shunsui smiled ruefully. "I pretended like asking you out was a joke because I knew you would always reject me. A lot of people probably saw through me, though."

"I guess Ukitake-taicho did, too." Nanao sighed. "I don't understand why he even asked me out, though."

"He must have liked you, too. I'll be damned, I never even noticed. He probably thought that if I wasn't making a move, you were fair game."

"Are you mad at him?" Nanao didn't like to see the two longtime friends fighting, and the fear she had destroyed their friendship ate at her.

"Not really. I know what he sees in you. Also, I never told him how I felt. He didn't do anything I wouldn't have done myself." Shunsui dropped his hands from Nanao's face to capture both of her hands in his. He shot her a roguish smirk and continued. "But if I see him touch you one more time in anything other than a brotherly manner, I'm going to hit him again."

Nanao gasped. "Again?"

"I was just beginning to accept the fact that I'd lost you to my best friend when he told me Katsuo had taken you. I was furious." Shunsui shrugged. "It was nothing."

"It sounds like something to me!"

"Again, he would have done the same thing if our situations were reversed. It's okay, Nanao-chan." He leaned forward quickly to kiss her forehead, and then looked stunned at his own actions. Nanao blushed.

"What made you decide you . . . well, that you love me?" Shunsui asked after a short pause. He looked oddly vulnerable as he spoke the word 'love,' and Nanao wanted to hug him.

"When I realized that—and this is going to sound terrible, but it's the truth—I could live without Ukitake-taicho but not without you. I would miss Ukitake-taicho horribly, but I can't imagine my life without cleaning up after you all the time, or looking for you on the roof, or making you do your paperwork. Then it hit me that the reason I thought about you all the time was that I love you." The more she said it, the easier it was. She loved Shunsui. There it was.

"Then why did you look so much sadder when Juushiro volunteered to die than when I volunteered? I thought I was making you happy by stopping him."

"At first, I didn't think you would actually volunteer, so I wasn't sad for you. Besides, I didn't realize yet that I loved you. But when Ukitake-taicho said Nakamura could have his life . . . I wasn't sad because I loved him, I was sad because he was dying for me and I _didn't_ love him." Even now, the thought made her shudder a little, and Shunsui patted her hands.

"I thought you just loved him so much more than me," he confessed. "And then when you said you loved me—I was worried that you were trying to stop me long enough to find a way to defeat Nakamura, and that it was just a ploy. Even if you didn't love me, you couldn't just watch someone die. That's another thing I love about you."

"It wasn't a ploy, I promise. I couldn't stand the thought of you not being in my world. Everything I said then, and now, was true. I thought that _you_ were the one playing along, though. I thought Nakamura was crazy to think that you would ever die for me, and when you said you would, I thought maybe you just didn't want to let someone die. I've always respected that about you, but it terrified me then."

"Well, at least we each have a noble opinion of each other," Shunsui laughed, and Nanao smiled. This wasn't so hard at all. It was just like their comfortable captain-lieutenant relationship, except with more discussion about their feelings.

"It's bad that it took our near deaths to bring this all out, isn't it?" she asked. Shunsui shrugged.

"Not really. It makes sense, actually. Neither of us was about to make the first move otherwise, so this whole debacle worked out fine for me in the long run. I'll have to thank Rangiku."

"What do you mean?" For a moment, Nanao was worried it would have something to do with their sexual relationship, and the jealousy she thought she had avoided flared up. Then she remembered Rangiku's promise to set her up with Juushiro, and Shunsui's fake excuses not to work with her. So he really _had _been working with Rangiku!

"Rangiku asked me to get you together with Juushiro, and like an idiot, I agreed. My only excuse is that I thought you would be happy. But, if I hadn't done that, none of this would likely have happened, so in the end, her matchmaking actually worked out perfectly."

"Don't be so sure that we could have avoided everything. Nakamura was out to grab me from the very beginning."

"But if I hadn't been sulking, I would have been with you when he showed up. There's no way I would have let him leave with you, and then we never would have had our revealing face-off. He certainly wouldn't have been tying you half-naked to any beds."

"That's a good point." Nanao wasn't sure if this hadn't been destined from the beginning no matter what happened, but it didn't really matter. The important part was that they were together, finally.

"I have one more question, Nanao-chan."

"Yes?"

"Were you really planning to leave Eighth Squad?"

"What? No! That's something you made up all on your own!" Shunsui looked relieved, although Nanao felt frustrated. "It was driving me crazy, all your insisting that I was leaving you to wither away to nothing. Even if I had stayed with Ukitake-taicho romantically, I would still have stayed with you as well."

"I guess I did jump to conclusions there. But, it seemed like you disliked me so much, and cared for Juushiro so much, that the choice to leave would be easy."

Now it was Nanao who freed her hands and leaned forward, her hands on Shunsui's shoulders.

"The choice to leave you would never be easy. I just can't imagine what that would feel like. It would be terrible!" She looked into his eyes, imploring him to believe her. After a beat, Shunsui spoke.

"May I kiss you?" he whispered. Nanao blinked rapidly, taken aback. She hadn't been expecting this.

"I, um, would . . . yes. Yes, you may kiss me," she breathed. Shunsui's eyes lit up and he leaned forward. At first his lips were gentle, brushing hers ever so lightly. Then, slowly, their lips pressed together, and the kiss deepened. Nanao felt like she was saying everything left unsaid in her mind through her kiss, telling him how much she loved him and that she never wanted to be with anyone else ever again. She felt as thought she was overflowing with light, her imagination's picture of what her love must look like as it coursed through her body.

"Wow," Shunsui finally murmured as he pulled away, looking at her in wonder. "So it really is different when you're in love."

"Yes, yes it is." Nanao couldn't keep the big grin off her face. She couldn't imagine a happier moment than this.

On the other side of the building, someone had started to play music, and they could hear everyone goading each other to get up and dance. Shunsui's smile took on a conspiratorial sheen.

"Nanao-chan, will you dance with me?"

"Um, sure." She was still too giddy over their kiss to form a more complicated answer. Shunsui stood and reached down to help her up. She took a step toward the path around the building, but Shunsui stopped her.

"No, I want you all to myself," he told her in a low, husky voice that promised many delicious things to come. Nanao blushed again, and Shunsui laughed loudly.

"I can't even begin to tell you how much I love that blush," he announced, sweeping her into his arms and guiding her around the garden in time to the music. Nanao considered being angry at him, but it wasn't worth the effort.

Not now, when she had the thing she had most wanted all along: Shunsui himself.


End file.
